August 12th, 2003

"Hermione." She raises her eyes to Ginny. Hermione has no idea how long she's been sitting on their porch watching the sky. She feels exhausted from how much she cried, her vision blurry and her cheeks wet. A heaviness in her chest. "You need to eat something."

"Why?" She says with an alien voice. Dry. Brushing her tears and wetting her lips, she moves to fully face Ginny. A strong headache is making her dizzy.

"Because."

Hermione's answer is a long silence.

Ginny sighs. "You know you can stay for as long as you want."

Hermione nods to her friend. She's lucky she has Ginny's and Draco's support. Since she got here yesterday they've been amazing friends.

"Thank you, Gin." She whispers.

"I- I'm sorry if what I said about the transference-"

"No. Of course not." She exhales heavily. "It was my fault. I should have talked to Harry about the transference the moment Noah asked me to go with him." She makes a face.

"I still think you two need to talk about this. It makes no sense, Hermione."

"When Harry decides something it's pretty hard to change his mind. I never wanted this to happen, but I reckon that… he might be right." She closes her eyes, it's hard to admit this even to herself.

"What do you mean?"

"I… I've been thinking about everything he said and I can't find an answer to why I kept this from him, to why I 'forgot' to send them a letter refusing my spot. Not to mention that… I truly struggle with the whole Tessa thing. And I feel awful about it all, I feel guilty all the time. He's right. It's too damn hard for us to work this way."

"But you love each other!" Ginny sounds outraged. "I've never seen you happier!"

Hermione feels something squeezing inside her chest. "I know. But maybe we need this. Time apart."

Ginny leans back on her chair and crosses her arms, a wrinkle between her brows. "Are you saying what I think you are? Are you giving up?"

"I think I don't even know how to give up on Harry, Gin. But he's hurt. I'm hurt. The situation sucks and the only way out I see is going to Paris, taking the spot. I need to give time for things to cool down."

"I get it, but what if Harry thinks you gave up? What if he-"

"I won't go without talking to him. We never stopped being best friends, and I don't wanna ruin that too. And…" She swallows the lump in her throat, "I need to talk to Rachel." Hermione brushes a few tears. "Maybe she can't understand it all yet, but I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't try to explain."

A silence follows and Ginny stands from the chair and extends a hand to Hermione. "Come, you need to eat."

"You won't let this go, will you?"

"No."

Resigned, Hermione takes her friend's hand and they head together to the kitchen.


He can't stop cooking.

Croissants.

Heart and mind are tricky things. He's been at the kitchen non stop, baking Hermione's favorite food as if waiting for her to open the front door and greet him with a smile. He presses his open hands on the cold marble of the isle and lowers his head.

"Dada." Rachel raises her arms to him and Harry fetches her. He gives her a kiss and sighs. "Don't cry." She says with a hand on his cheek and Harry purses his lips.

"It's okay, baby." He's sure his face must be red from all the crying since yesterday.

He can't stop thinking about Hermione, about the way they parted, how hurt she sounded. He barely slept last night because every time he closed his eyes he saw the hurt in hers. Maybe he took it too far, maybe telling her to go was a bit extreme… but he was so angry, so confused and heartbroken that it was the only solution he could see… Talking about Tessa hadn't work. Practically begging Hermione to accept the way Rachel sees her also hadn't work. Then when he wanted a satisfaction as to why she never refused the spot in Paris and she couldn't give one, that was it. He could tell, after years of being her best friend, that she wanted to go, she wanted this opportunity as Hermione Granger, the Healer. And he understood she was giving up on it because of him, because of Rachel. And he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he stopped her from something she wants.

But that doesn't mean he's not miserable. He feels terrible, hollow and lost. And now he regrets his words.

"Mama?" Rachel is pouting. She's also been sad since she woke this morning and realized Hermione wasn't there. It cuts Harry open to remember how happy she was when she saw her mother yesterday and compare it to now. He shakes his head to her.

"You'll see her soon."

He knows they're both hurting from what happened, but Hermione is not leaving without seeing Rachel.

He lets out a shaky breath and holds his daughter even closer. Inevitably his mind wanders to Tessa. Hermione said he would be with Tessa if that accident had never happened. And he denied. But if he's totally honest with himself… he can't think of a reason why they wouldn't be together. He loved Tessa intensively, in a way that took his breath away. It was passion. Sheer passion. And with Rachel on the mix… it would be almost impossible for something to separate them, so, he can't be too harsh with Hermione on this matter. She has her reasons and she's probably right, as always.

But the accident happened.

That's the fact that Hermione is forgetting. Tessa is in a coma and as tragical as it is, that's what made it possible for them to discover their love, to discover how much they want to be together, how right they are as a couple.

He bites the insides of his cheeks and puts Rachel on the floor. That's the moment someone apparates inside and his heart races thinking it's Hermione. But it's only Draco.

"Is she there?" He asks promptly.

Draco nods. "Well, I think you look just as miserable. Hey, Rach!" Harry watches as his friend hugs Rachel, his mind on Hermione.

"Did she tell you-"

"She did." Draco cuts him. "And I'm here to ask you… man, why you have this need to make yourself unhappy?"

Harry frowns. "What?"

"You don't see it?" Draco looks really puzzled. "Wow."

"What are you talking about?"

"Okay, hear me out. First, at the war, you pushed Ginny away. And don't get me wrong, I kind of get why, but you loved her at the time and you put this distance between you. Then, things were great with Tessa and you left for the training. And now, you told Hermione to go to Paris."

Harry opens his mouth, a bit surprised and unsure of what to say.

"I mean, you keep putting yourself in these situations of loneliness as if you don't deserve to be happy, to have someone you truly care about to share life with you." Draco crosses his arms, a serious expression on his face. "I used to think like this, you know? After the war I felt terrible. I did awful things, Harry, things I still think I should be punished for, but I went through a trial, I paid my debt to society and I try to be a better person everyday. Sometimes I falter, yes, but Ginny is there with me and she understands my fears, she talks to me about her own, we share life." Draco opens a little smile. "Do you really think I wake up next to her and consider myself worthy?" He snorts. Draco sits on a stool in front of Harry, Rachel on his lap with a toy. "I grew up in a toxic environment, Harry. My father used to beat me up whenever he felt like it. My mother never defended me. I felt like garbage and my best would never be enough. We're more alike than you think."

Harry crosses his arms. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Of course you do."

A heavy silence stretches. The oven warns Harry that the batch of croissants is ready. He gives his back to Draco and settles the tray on the isle.

"Waiting for Hermione to come back?" Draco provokes him as he bites one croissant and complains about it being too hot. Rachel giggles when he opens his mouth and sticks his tongue out to cool it down.

Harry grunts. He wants her to come back. He wants to look at her. Just that. It would be enough. But he says nothing.

"Okay, you don't wanna talk about your rough childhood, then can we talk about the way you practically threw Hermione into Noah's arms?"

Harry raises an eyebrow at that. "I-"

"You did! You told her to go to Paris, Harry. You forgot Noah is going to be there? What were you thinking?"

That actually makes his heart skip a beat. A sudden dread takes over him. This particularity didn't cross his mind when he insisted she should go. He sits down on the stool, shocked with his own stupidity. He pushed Hermione away and Noah will be there to comfort her, to share days and nights with her. He gets up in an impulse, ready to find Hermione and take it all back, ready to ask her to stay with him forever, but-

Sighing, he looks at Draco. "There's nothing I can do now, Draco. If she chooses to go, it's her choice. If she realizes she wants to be with Noah, it's also her choice." Draco makes a face at him, not agreeing. "And the transference isn't our only problem. As I always feared, Tessa is between us. Hermione can't let go completely and sometimes I feel bad that I did. I mean, could we ever live this love without this weighting on us?"

"I don't know, man. What I do know is that you're both giving up."

"I'm never giving up on Hermione." He says with certainty. Because it's true. So true. "But I don't see a solution, at least, not now. Maybe we need this. Maybe she needs to go and I need to understand my life with Rachel without her." It hurts even saying the words.

"You should talk."

Harry lowers his head, Rachel is already pushing Draco away and moving to the living room with a croissant in her hand.

"We would reach the same conclusion."

"Well," Draco sighs and stands, "I need to go, just wanted to check in on you." Draco pats his shoulder and Harry nods at him, then he's gone.

And Harry's mind is immediately back to Hermione.


August 18th, 2003

She's been avoiding this moment, but she needs her things and after days of crying and sulking, she's finally well enough to face this. Hermione opens the flat's door and is engulfed by the particular scent of their home. A smell she didn't realize how much she misses. It's the perfect mixture of the three.

Shaking her head and entering the place, she notices Harry hasn't been exactly tidy for the past few days. The living room is a fair mess. Placing both hands on her waist she can't believe the ridiculous amount of toys Rachel scattered around, not to mention Harry's clothes on the couch.

"Honestly." She murmurs to herself and with a simple spell puts things back where they belong.

She chose an hour she knew Harry wouldn't be home. It was a coward's move, but Hermione already made peace with herself that she's not exactly the definition of a Gryffindor - at least not when it comes to Harry. He's at some cooking class now and Rachel must be at the Burrow. So…

She strides inside and stops at the kitchen's entrance. There's a whole bowl of croissants on top of the isle. She feels her face wet from a few tears. "Shit." Against her better judgment, Hermione enters the kitchen and takes one. It tastes amazing. Like always.

She ignores the way her chest hurts while she walks to her bedroom. Maybe she should think about all the croissants she'll be able to eat in Paris. Hermione snorts at the absurd thought. Nothing compares to Harry's. Simply because it's his.

But she was definitely not ready for the sight of their bed. It's pretty obvious Harry's been sleeping there. Hermione walks slowly, her hands brushing against his clothes on the armchair, against his cooking books on the nightstand and his magical camera on the bed. She stops. It's a bit overwhelming. Sitting down on the bed she wonders if she's doing the right thing. Going to Paris seems the easy way out, and maybe she's done enough of that, maybe she should stay and fight for him- No.

Getting up fast and brushing her tears, she goes to the closet. She's there for a reason: getting her things. That's it. And it takes just a few minutes as she does it magically. Standing there, her eyes inevitably glue on the closed drawer where she knows his t-shirts are. The furniture taunts her. It's just a fucking drawer. She, at least, wished it were this simple, but the drawer is filled with memories. Memories of them laughing while choosing a t-shirt, of his hands on her body, of his lips on hers-

She blinks fast and fetches her bag on the floor. Time to go.

Walking to the kitchen, she ponders if she should leave a note. She sits down on her stool, her hands finding another croissant on its own. She conjures a paper and a pen. Harry deserves a note. He deserves to know that she was there.

A loud crack makes her heart jump and her hand stops mid motion. Hermione turns her head and immediately meets his green eyes.

"Harry." Her voice is barely there.

He's dumbstruck by her presence. Slowly, he opens and closes his mouth, blinking and taking her in.

Seeing him hurts more than she was prepared for. The urge to kiss him is almost unbearable and her whole body feels alert, sensitive to his proximity. Her eyes roam over him and-

"Merlin! What happened?"

She moves fast to his side and he frowns, as if not understanding what she's saying. But he's supporting his left arm with his right hand and there's a huge burn on it. It looks awful, red and with blisters. Her heart quickens. This is extremely painful. Before he can even answer she takes his arm, focused on his injury, her wand in hand, ready to take his pain away.

As she murmurs a few spells over his forearm, she tries not thinking of how close they are. Or how his smell suffocates her. Harry doesn't move, but his eyes are heavy on her. He winces when the spell pops his blisters. Hermione holds his arm with a vicious grip. There's absolute silence in the room except for her healing.

And finally, when she says the last spell, she lets her eyes go to his. It's hard to think. Hard to breathe. But she clears her throat.

"You need to take a potion for this to heal faster."

Harry sets his jaw, her hand still holding his forearm, their bodies close together. It kills her when he takes a step back. He lowers his head.

"There was an accident. A student set fire on a preparation and I- I tried shielding the inevitable explosion… well." He shows her his arm.

"You should have gone to the Hospital."

He gives her a pointed look. Right. He didn't go to the Hospital because he might bump into her there. She inhales sharply.

"I was just leaving-"

"Stay."

She feels dizzy. The single word she wanted to hear that night-

"I mean, for dinner. Rachel misses you."

"I miss her too." It's all she manages to say.

Harry nods at her words and walks to the counter. He leans against it and crosses his arms. Hermione doesn't know what to do with herself as she feels all kinds of inappropriate. Harry clicks his tongue.

"Molly is bringing her soon." He points to her stool. "I think we need to talk about a few things." She nods and sits. Harry moves, opening cupboards, drawers and the fridge in order to cook them dinner. He gives her his back and starts chopping the ingredients. Hermione watches him, half in pain half in awe.

After long minutes he asks, "Have you decided?"

She purses her lips. "Yes." He stops cutting an onion at that, waiting. "I'm going." Hermione can see his back tensing through his shirt. She waits for him to move or say something, but Harry is frozen and she starts to feel anxious at the silence. "I- I thought a lot about what you said, Harry. You were right in many ways. It's extremely hard for me to let go of Tessa and as much as we… love each other," He lowers his head, supporting himself on the counter, "there are things between us that need solving." She moves her hands over the isle's marble in a nervous manner, "And maybe some time apart might be good for us." The words taste like venom in her mouth. She doesn't really want time apart from him, but since he practically said he wanted her to go it's pretty hard to do or say otherwise.

He slowly turns to her and Hermione is sure his eyes are bright, sadness in them. She can't help asking herself why they're setting both up to suffering. She'll be miserable without him. Without Rachel.

"Good. I mean," He clears his throat, "it's a great opportunity for you and I'm sure it'll be everything you always wanted."

At first she nods at his words, but her chest is filled with an uncomfortable hotness. As he turns back to the chopping of vegetables, the sensation of wrongness invades her in a strong wave. It's an infuriating situation. She's been trying to convince herself that going to Paris is the best way to deal with this, but she's smarter than that. A love like theirs should be able to live through this, to face the difficulties and come out stronger. Or maybe their love is not as strong as she thinks. And, inevitably, Tessa comes to her mind. Hermione looks down.

"Yes." It's what she says. She knows there's no point in arguing, no point in trying to convince him to reconsider everything he said the other night. She knows him too well. "It's indeed an unique opportunity." Her voice is nothing but a whisper, her heart beating wildly inside her chest. Is there anything else to say? She's not sure. Another conversation might put them back together, but what about those other problems? Nothing has changed. She sighs, sad. "I still don't know how long I'll be there, but I hope I can talk to Rachel on a daily basis."

Harry nods. "Of course." His voice is low too, his posture clearly one of defeat. He turns to her. "She won't take this well, you know that, don't you?" She purses her lips.

"I'll explain to her."

And just as if summoned, Molly apparates inside, Rachel in her arms. Hermione immediately stands to greet the woman and the little girl while Harry stays put. Molly is welcoming and warm as always and she silently asks Hermione if things are okay. She just nods at Mrs Weasley and after a few hugs and exchanged words with Harry, the older woman is gone.

Rachel on the other hand is unable to hold still from sheer excitement of seeing Hermione. She hugs the little girl as tightly as possible, her heart hurting as tears fall from her eyes. And for the rest of the evening Hermione avoids Harry. She avoids looking at him or even making direct questions. After all, she's there for Rachel, for this amazing girl who she's been taking care since she was a tiny baby. It feels impossible to let go of her, impossible to deal with how much she'll miss them.

Harry respects their time together and just watches them silently from the kitchen. After dinner, Hermione bathes Rachel. It's awful to realize that everything might be a silent goodbye. She knows things will change, she knows their relationship will never be what it was after this time separated. It's just hard to tell if this change will be good or bad. There's no way of knowing for now.

Hermione comes out of the room with a bathed and sleepy Rachel. Harry stops in front of her in the corridor. He usually tucks Rachel in, so, he extends his arms.

"I'll tuck her in." Hermione says. They share a long look. Both understand that after Hermione tells Rachel, there's no going back. And for a brief moment, it seems like he'll stop her. He gently moves forward, his eyes fixed on hers, his jaw set. Hermione stops breathing when he dips his head and bumps his nose against hers. She closes her eyes. It's another goodbye.

Harry moves away without looking back and she takes a shaky breath before entering Rachel's room. She moves on automatic, her world crumbling around her. Rachel stirs when Hermione sets her on the bed.

"Mama."

Hermione smiles. She loves this word. She loves the way Rachel says it. She loves how the little girl's eyes shine with admiration when she looks up at her. Hermione never admitted this to anyone, and even herself find it hard to accept, but… she's Rachel's mother. And she feels like a monster for leaving. She lies down with the girl and hugs her close, kissing the top of her head.

"Sweetie." Her voice wavers and she swallows the lump in her throat. She needs to do this. "Mama has something important to tell you." Rachel looks up at her with her eyes half closed as she rubs one with a hand. "I… I won't be around as often anymore." Hermione grits her teeth at the way Rachel widen her eyes and pouts. "Mama needs to travel, and it might take a while for me to come home, okay? But you don't need to worry, I'll talk to you everyday through the fireplace and whenever I get the chance I'll be here to spend time with you." Hermione knows she might be lying right now, but she can't deal with the fat tears that Rachel is shedding. She brushes them away and tries to hold her own. "But papa will be here with you. And you'll always have mama Tessa."

"I want you!" Her words are direct and simple.

Hermione opens a sad smile. "You have me, my baby." She kisses her head again. "I'm always with you, regardless our distance." Maybe Rachel can't quite grasp this concept yet, but some day she will. "I love you, Rachel. I love you with all my heart, with everything I am."

"Mama!" Rachel is crying loudly now, her red face pressed against Hermione's chest.

It takes all she has to not crumble down. "It's okay, baby. Shhh." She does her best to soothe Rachel. This is probably the hardest thing she's ever done in her entire life. Not facing Dark Wizards, not wiping away her parent's memories, not dealing with her cousin's accident. No. Nothing came close to what she feels as she breaks Rachel's little heart.

Hermione has no idea how long she stays there, hugging, kissing and brushing Rachel's tears, but the two fall asleep together on the little bed, the intensity of their connection and love bringing them closer.


Harry watches from the threshold. His arms crossed. His chest heavy. They're both asleep with red faces showing how much they've cried. He shouldn't have, but he stayed there in the corridor listening to everything. And now it hurts more than before because… while Hermione healed him at the kitchen he decided he would take it all back. Decided he wasn't ready to let her go. But he needed something from her, the smallest indication that she wanted to stay…

He lowers his head. She decided to go and he won't stand in her way. He could never be this selfish. The same way he wasn't with Tessa, the same way he couldn't ask her to give up on her father, or Ginny to leave her family and risk her life in the middle of a War and go on a crazy hunt with him.

But this is the worst. By far. He sighs and moves his wand. A fluffy blanket tucks both under its warmth. Hermione opens a little smile and pulls Rachel closer to her chest. Harry chokes on a sob and leaves the room. He just hopes he can get her back one day.


August 29th, 2003

Hermione observes all her things packed into three suitcases and five boxes. She feels odd.

"So, are you ready to do this?" Ginny asks as she enters the room.

Hermione stayed with them, she knew going back to the flat was out of question. But that didn't stop her from seeing Rachel everyday. However, now it's time to go, time to leave for Paris. She'll only get a feel of how long she'll be staying when she gets there and she won't lie, the thought frightens her.

"Yes." She shudders. The hardest is yet to come. She needs to give Rachel a final hug and… Harry. She turns to Ginny. Words are unnecessary as they share a meaningful hug and a sad smile. "I'll be in touch. I promise." Ginny nods and Hermione turns to Draco entering the room.

"You'll be here for the wedding, right?" He asks as they separate after hugging.

"I wouldn't miss it for nothing in this world."

After another few reassuring words she apparates to the flat, her things already set near the portkey's location.

Rachel comes crashing into her, already crying. Hermione fetches her and smiles. "Baby, remember what mama said, okay? It's all good and as soon as I settle there we'll talk through the fireplace." Rachel nods. Hermione has been talking and explaining everything to her for the past days and in a way Rachel slowly accepted the change.

Hermione looks around searching for Harry, but all she sees are boxes. She frowns.

"Harry!" She calls out and soon his head appears from the corridor.

"Oh! Hey."

She takes him in while he approaches her. His hair is a mess and his white t-shirt, dirty. There's a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. The scene takes her back years ago when she went to Grimmauld to visit him and tell she would leave to find her parents. Blinking and sending the memory away, she turns her head to receive his kiss on her cheek. They've been excellent actors in keeping a friendly relationship in front of Rachel. Both agreed the girl was already suffering enough, she didn't need her parents ignoring or fighting each other all the time.

He glances at his watch. "Are you leaving already?" She nods and his expression falls. "I thought-"

"It changed. I'm leaving in ten minutes to be exact."

She clearly sees his Adam's apple bobbing, his hand running through his hair.

"Well-"

"Why the boxes?"

He shrugs. "It didn't feel right to live here without you."

His words cut the air and Hermione looks down. Rachel is playing with her necklace. "So, Grimmauld?"

"No." He shakes his head, a tiny smile on his face. "I bought a house for us."

She presses her lips together. If things were different she would be included in this 'us'. She opens a tight smile. "That's amazing, Harry. I'm sure Rachel will love it. When are you moving?"

"In two days. And you don't have to worry, I'll clean up everything and leave it as good as new here. I'm sure someone will want to rent it while you're in Paris."

It crosses her mind that they're both erasing their lives together. She nods. They recently bought the flat from the landlord, so, it belongs to both.

She inhales deeply and puts Rachel down. "So, I guess this is goodbye."

He nods. "I guess."

Awkwardly she opens her arms. In a swift motion Harry closes the gap between them, holding her tightly. His arms circle her waist and, on her tip toes, she squeezes him by the neck. She'll miss his smell. His warmth. His touch. His kisses. His embraces. His eyes. The sound of his voice. Him. All of him.

"I'll miss you, Harry." She says, her mouth close to his ear.

Harry buries his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply and kissing her on a sensitive spot. She shivers in his arms.

"I'll miss you too."

Hermione closes her eyes and her hands move to his hair. Her fingers threading into his thick locks. She can feel his heart beating wildly against her own. He kisses her neck again.

She doesn't want to let go. She wants to build a tiny house into his arms and live there until she gets old and wrinkly. She nuzzles him.

"I thought it would be easier." She says with a teary voice.

"Hermione." His voice shakes her to the bone. Harry moves back and one of his hands cups her cheek. They touch their foreheads while he caresses her face with his thumb.

"I need to go." With a new found strength she moves from him. He's crying. Hermione crouches to hug Rachel again. "I love you, Rachel. And don't forget that whenever you need me, I'll be here, okay?" Rachel kisses her cheek and moves away to hug Harry's legs.

Hermione cleans her face with both hands and gives them one final look. And she knows that if she doesn't leave right at that moment she will lose her resolve. So, with a deep breath, she apparates.

And soon she's off to Paris. Off to her new life.


September 18th, 2003

She grunts, tired and totally spent after an exhausting, but fulfilling, day at the Hôpital. Hermione enters her cozy apartment and crumbles down on a big chair. After almost three weeks in Paris she can say that she's finally getting used to this new life.

At first she thought about going back to Harry and Rachel every single second of the day, but then, she got so busy with the job, with research, with saving lives and actually being properly treated at work that her thoughts about them started to become… less often.

Of course she talks to Rachel everyday. She knows everything about what she's learning at school the same way she knows how much Rachel loves her new and big house where she can fly outside with her papa - something which Hermione tried not freaking out about. It's incredibly hard to be away, there's a hollowness inside her where Harry and Rachel were that will never be truly full without them, but, amidst all these changes, Hermione rediscovered herself. She finally reconnected with the very reason why she chose Healing. It gives her peace and an immense satisfaction to know that she can make someone's day better by just prescribing the right potion; It warms her heart that she can heal and treat a serious disease because there's nothing like giving people hope. That's why she loves research, that's why she's focused on being the best in neurology.

She can't deny that everything excites her. She's always been an eager leaner and the best in the field are there, ready to teach and work with her. Not to mention that now that she lives in Paris she can see her parents day in day out, which is something she never thought she'd missed so much.

But some things bother her. Like how long the program is. Two years. And she has to complete at least half of it if she wants to have her discoveries and procedures recognized in the whole wizarding world. When she thinks about being away from Harry and Rachel for two years she gets a headache. In two years Rachel will be five. A totally different child. Will she still see Hermione as her mama? She looks down. She hasn't told Harry about it yet. She's stalling. She said she still doesn't know how long it lasts…

And another downside is always bumping into Noah at the Hôpital. He tried talking to her, but Hermione has nothing to say to him. He tricked her, acted behind her back and by doing that showed his true colors. She has no interest whatsoever in getting back together with him.

Because he's obviously a git and… Harry. Of course.

She looks over at her center table. There's a portrait of her with Harry and Rachel, the one they took on Christmas last year. At the time they were still trying to figure out what to do with their mutual attraction… they were resisting it because of Tessa. She makes a face. The thought of Harry and Tessa still bothers her in a way that she considers selfish and childish. But she asks about her cousin every time she gets the chance, and so far her status hasn't changed.

Sighing, she stands from the chair and opens up a bottle of wine. It's one of her new habits. She likes to drink one or two glasses before going to bed and while she studies her cases. She never got the chance to do that in London because since she started her internship at St. Mungo's, Rachel was already a reality. Hermione didn't drink because Tessa couldn't and then when Rachel came she was busy taking care of the little girl. So, it's kinda of odd having all this… freedom. But she's enjoying it.

She settles down on the couch with a glass in a hand and a file of a patient in the other. Tucking her legs under her, Hermione starts reading. This case is particularly interesting to her. It's about a man who suffered a magical accident while brewing a potion. He lost part of his memory but gained the freaky ability of memorizing every new thing he sees. Hermione met him yesterday and had her mouth hanging open at the way he described things with impeccable detail. Depending on the case this would be a wonderful new skill, but he payed a high price… he forgot everything about his loved ones, the man can't remember his wife nor his son, or even his parents. She has to confess that she cried when she talked to the wife, the woman couldn't believe the unfairness of it all. So, Hermione's job is to give this man his memory back. It won't be easy.

And the case made her think a lot about her own life. About who she would be if she couldn't remember her parents, her friends… Harry and Rachel. It made her rethink a few things. They're there and well… shouldn't they be together? She kept replaying in her mind the moment she apparated away from the flat and took the Portkey to Paris. And she made a decision. Regardless everything they talked about, she'll ask Harry to move to Paris with Rachel. As much as she enjoys her new life, nothing can compare to what they had. That was the unseen and real magic. The one you only feel.

Setting down the file and finishing her glass, she glances at her watch. In a few minutes she'll talk to Rachel through the fireplace like they've been doing every day without fault. Hermione smiles. Tomorrow is her birthday and maybe her wish can come true, maybe Harry misses her just as much as she misses him, maybe moving to Paris might sound like a good idea. It's true they haven't talked much, she's been writing to Ginny and Draco constantly, but with Harry things are a bit more… touchy. I'll talk to him tonight. Yes, it seems perfect.

She drums her fingers on her leg while she waits. They're late. Hermione frowns. That never happened before. A sudden fear fills her lungs. Has something happened? Without even noticing, she's up, ready to flee to London if needed. Maybe I should-

A patronus stops her. It's Harry's and his voice fills her living room:

"Hermione, Tessa woke up. Come as soon as possible."


Note: Hello people, I'm back!

I have to say this chapter is more like a filler.

The story will change a bit from now on... I mean, Tessa woke up.

(I'm sorry)

.

But I have other news: I'll start posting new stories! So, if you're interested, look out for the updates.